This is the kind of “bilateral focus” on international relations that is useful and productive and definitely represents one step forward towards a results-driven global peace-building process.
One of the main failures for a Global Diplomacy policy focused on bilateralism is precisely the incapacity to create global impact and just be driven by financial-strategic interests that do not contribute to a global peace process. However, this meeting represents much more than just US interests but a boost towards a new attitude from Kim Jong Un.
We could make a parallel with Obama´s visit to Cuba after a long traumatic relationship with U.S. that not only helped to build new relations among the countries, but to print with confidence and trust a world submerged on uncertainty and the feeling of constant confrontation.
One of the main criticisms is that it has not addressed the issue of respect to Human Rights or/and that there is not a clear roadmap towards a serious plan of denuclearization. Which is true, although the expectation that these points will be settled during the Summit lacks of sense of reality and does not contribute to the own analysis of the complexity of the meeting in itself. Maybe this Summit is it just a matter of symbolism, but definitely so much needed in a world that lives with the sense of growing violence and threat.
Dictatorships always apply isolationist polices and prefer bilateral agreements in which there is no control at national or international level, within an important lack of citizen´s guarantees. Is in this sense that there is a parallel with current American focus that helps on the road to build a new map of relations between both isolationist countries.
In a world of extremisms in all senses, dialogue is the way-out although with a results-driven results by a political attitude that seed the plant of exchange and communication. Its hard, its troublesome but is the only way to make North Korea an active member of the international community. Trump has done the first step, now is the responsibility of the global institutions and leaders (as G7, European institutions, UN, etc.) to continue building trust and feeding dialogue.
We definitely conclude that this is the 1st act of Diplomacy from an Administration that is proud to say that “America is 1st” and that there philosophy is based on “political friendship” instead of “global agreements and institutions”.
In addition, a boycott to all attempts for a global peace-building vision based on institutional joint action. Is precisely for this attitude of isolationism and indifference towards the rest of the international community and the SDGs that the political will to deliver dialogue should be very much welcome.
Immersed in contradictions and mistaken positions towards the need for a joint action, this Summit it´s part of the “positive and welcomed” contradiction of Trump´s policies that we need to celebrate.
We really hope this is not the only one but the 1st act of Diplomacy that even within a framework of isolationism from global institutions and bilateral agreements will lead to contribute to dialogue and a substantial decrease of anger and hate around the world.
Diplomacy leads to Global Peace.
*Diplomacy: the art that is intentionally missing
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